The Tailor
by PhantomReaper13DEZ
Summary: What if Allen was never Allen, never met Mana and went blind?


Red was a tailor and most days he made clothes, for the wealthy and many of the same ones for the not wealthy. It was difficult to make something he hasn't ever made before, why? Well Red was blind. He hid his blood red arm under fashionable gloves and long sleeves. No one ever wanted something made by him because they didn't think he could make it. But the irony is that he was the best tailor in the shop and all his work is coveted by many. He hated it, people only cared about themselves.

Today started out like any regular day until the store bell rang out clearly, a customer had just walked in. A man's voice came over as the young lady at the counter asked how she could help him. Of course like many others of their more wealthier customers he asked for the best. Red could feel the cringe that the desk clerk must have tried to hide, this usually was met with scepticism or outrage, for how could a blind man make anything that they couldn't even see.

The clerk called back for him, "Red! Private customers! Lemme know if you need any help!"

And there it was once again, the condescending tone everyone used, as if he was a cripple and could not do anything at all. He did not want their fake sympathy and certainly did not want the thing they think he needs, no, never will he want pity. Red made his way to the counter and like many times before heard a gasp as he looked up. He waited for a response and quickly he got one, "Hey mister, are you blind?"

"Road!" Another voice of a young man came to be.

AH Red thought A family has come in today. He plastered a smile on his face and replied "It's no problem I tend to get that alot, and yes I am blind."

The girl, Road is what they called her, hmmmd and asked another question "Does it make your job hard?"

Red continued to smile and led them to one of the private fitting rooms while answering "Only if I let it."

Turns out they wanted some quite outlandish things, Red enjoyed this. Not once after the question did they mention or act like he was less than them. Road, Tyki and The Earl had become his favorite customers. When they left he got to work immediately, the outfits were challenging and by the next week when they were done the first time in a very long time did he feel accomplished.

The odd family came back once more after a month of waiting for their clothes to be done. They were surprised when he said it only took two weeks to completely finish them. The appreciative tone of the kids he assumed made his smile become more sincere.

Things continued on this path for a few years. More people from the strange family stopped by and ordered clothes, it seems they enjoyed his work. One of the rare times Road came by herself she had asked a question about how he lost his sight, for once he didn't mind answering. " Ah, well I was a street rat and had an accident with a priest who accidentally stabbed me, afterwards the church preached about how the dagger would purify the devil within me to cover it up."

He remembered her response as it was as unique as the clothes he made her. " I am sorry… humans are more corrupt than we like to think. One day I can promise you that nothing like that could happen to someone again. My family will kill the corruption and bring about a new age."

Red had just hmmd. He couldn't bring himself to care about the foreboding in those words, he has seen the corruption first hand. For a devil's child has no right to mercy, right?

In all the years that Red has known them, he has never felt uncomfortable around them. The Noah family was a very interesting thing to him. One of them, Skin only likes to eat sweet things and so he got a bowl of various candies to set up in the room that he frequently led them too. Tyki was a gambler as he even made cards with bumps for him to feel and for once in his short life Red was able to play card games.

The twins brightened his day with their explosive personalities and very imaginative minds, they had a thing for creating ideas and gave him many hard and interesting things to make. Road liked frilly things and loved to chat and 'play dress up' when she came, some of her orders were for her dolls. Lulubell was proper and wanted professional clothes that had taste but were not restricting and didn't grab people's attention.

Sheril who was apparently Tykis older brother came for him and his wife every time they had a ball or something that they had to dress up for, while sometimes he overreacts it was nice to see how much he cared about his family.

His favorite out of the family was by far the Earl or Adam as he sometimes let others call him. Every month Red made hats and more of his signature suits.Whatever the Earl did seemed to require that he needed more clothes regularly.The hats were very interesting and the Earl claimed his enemies were outraged by his perfect fashion sense, he never failed to make Red laugh every time that he came in.

When they started to come in sometimes just say hello to him was when he realized it.The Noah family had burrowed their way into his heart and that thought terrified Red.

It was the day it was completely horrible, like life has been sucked out of everyone and only hate, anger and disgust remained. It was the day Red was fired. The excuse was that he put off to many customers. And so with his box of small belongings he walked to… well he didn't know where.

It was three days of being without a job and consequently a home that found Red once again sitting next to his things in an alley. It was like he was the small child of his past again, just a street rat that had a monstrosity for an arm. Things were looking bleak.

There was not much else he knew how to do and not many people would hire him. At this point not even the circus would hire him without his sight. It was a long time since he felt this helpless and having no idea what to do or even what he could do, Red has been a tailor for years, it was all he knew.

As children's laughter echoed from the entryway of the alley tears streamed down Reds face as he curled up into the tightest ball he could. That night was the worst he could ever remember, even more so than the night he lost his vision. He had grown way to accustomed to his decent life style.

A full week left Red wondering what he could do as he's been refused by the church, bakeries, other tailor shops, and even the circus. As he laid on the dirty ground of the alley he has claimed as his temporary home the drum of footsteps from the nearby street slowly faded out as his consciousness came and went, he hasn't eaten in days and his body is now taking the toll.

Then next thing he knew someone was touching his face gently with familiarity. After a minute voices close by reached his ears as he recognized the voices. " A-Are you sure Earl-S-sama!?"

"I am absolutely certain! Road and Tyki-pon, take ...Ark...exorcists...home~3" Snippets of the conversation bled away as Red fell back into a hunger induced oblivion. It no longer mattered if he understood anything anymore, only the basic needs occupied his mind.

Big booming explosions rocked the ground and violently woke Red from his nightmares. Slowly sitting up he noticed how much better he felt, and how soft the clothes and bed he was in happened to be. Interestingly enough he could feel neatly pressed fine clothes on the night stand he by chance had found. Groping around some more he became more confused as nothing was remotely even close to where he has been. Finally he just called out, "Hello?"

There was no answer, but soon enough a few minutes later there was a knock on the door. Quizzically he more questioned than stated, "Come in?"

The door swung open with a smooth glide of air doors tend to make when well oiled. Footsteps on the floor came to stand next to the bed and a velvety voice spoke up, "Feeling much better little tailor?"

"Tyki? Yes very much so… but where am I?" Red inquired.

"In the Noah families home, our ark. Well we were in quite a shock when the twins came screaming back in the middle of dinner about not being able to find you. Somehow they have grown quite fond of you." Tyki said.

"They are nice if you really look at them. Just unique and different from most people… I have been fired, my apologies if you had to go through any trouble." Red meekly replied.

"Nonsense! We searched for two days to find you! You are not just our tailor, you have somehow, as impossible as it seems, have befriended my whole family. Heck, it was almost scary when SKIN took to wandering around to find you." Tyki huffed and slowly got worked up towards the end.

For a few moments there reigned silence. Dipping his head Red used his long hair to hide the tears he could feel welling up. Awkwardly Tyki told Red that the clothes on the night stand were for him and he should change for dinner, they had guests coming over. He left to wait outside the door with telling Red to call if he needed any help. Red quickly as was safely as possible got dressed and called out to Tyki.

Walking to the dining room was interesting. Although he had to hold Tyki's hand as he refused to allow his clothes to be rumpled, there was no shame or embarrassment. Only the sounds of their shoes and breathing.

When the door closed off behind him Red got an armful of a person. It was Road, she started to babble on about how worried she was when he slept for days and other things Red couldn't comprehend. Red was sat at the end of the table with the two Noah's next to him. The sweet and succulent smells of expensive food assaulted his senses and with approval from his hosts, Red started to munch on the good grub. It was a few minutes when all three of them had eaten their fill and sat politely conversing that the doors to the dining room slammed open.

Voices that sounded very young announced their presence. They sat at the table when the unfriendly banter had a threatening invitation to join.The guests rudely refused the food and accused the two Noah's of horrible crimes and things that frankly just left Red lost, again.

All too soon the insults and not so subtle jabs became blows and he just sat there as whatever was happening was playing out. At this point Red didn't think of trying to understand the garble and fight talk and listened worriedly. He thought about the current situation, who are these people? Why are they fighting the Noah family?... what they've been saying can't be true can it? No it can't they wouldn't be so cruel.

How much time had elapsed had eluded him as the sounds of the battle abruptly ended. Red heard Road loud and clear stating that they'd pay for hurting Tyki and his heart clenched in worry made worse by the Noah's apparent departure and subsequently leaving him here… wherever here is anyway. Not only that but it seems that the strangers that hurt Tyki were still here and only now seeming to notice him.

It took awhile till one of them softly spoke close to him while grabbing his hand, "Hello, my name is Lenalee."


End file.
